“Abe,” I say. “You have to be aggressive. Nice guys finish last. Don’t be a nice guy.”
“Maybe,” he says thoughtfully, “I can be a slightly less nice guy who finishes a little better than last.”
“Just kiss her, dude!”
Abe shakes his head. “She’d probably just slap me.”
That’s actually a distinct possibility.
“It’s worth the risk,” I say.
Abe looks dubious.
“Abe,” I say. “You have been her friendwaytoo long. If you don’t make a move fast, soon, you’re going to be painting each other’s toenails and putting her hair in curlers.”
He looks like he’s considering what I’m saying, but I doubt he’ll do it. For a big guy, Abe is a huge wuss.
A weekbefore our first anatomy exam, my classmate Brogan Scott approaches me in the hospital after the class we just took together.
I’ve been avoiding Brogan like the plague lately. I get the sense she’s interested in me, and that’s just not what I want on any level. Yeah, Brogan is hot as holy hell, but so what? She justdoesn’t do it for me. Plus, I’m willing to bet she’s super high maintenance.
“Mason,” Brogan says in a singsong voice. She puts her hand on my arm for good measure. “Where have you been hiding yourself?”
I smile tightly. “What’s up, Brogan?”
“We’re having a party the night of the anatomy exam at my house,” Brogan says. She’s renting a house with a couple of other girls in the class, none of whom are girls I’d like to spend an evening with. “Youmustcome.”
I suppress a groan. Alcohol + Party + Brogan = Big Mistake. And even if I manage to avoid Brogan, I can’t imagine the party being that much fun if her annoying, stuck-up friends are there. Then I get an idea for something that might make the party tolerable.
“Listen,” I say. “Can I bring Sasha?”
“Who?” Brogan asks.
“Sasha Zaleski. My lab partner.”
Brogan makes a face. “I’d rather not, Mason. I don’t want more girls there. The ratios are already way off.”
Is she joking? Is this junior high school, where she’s counting girls and boys in the room?
“Then forget it,” I say.
Brogan pouts at me. I bet that works on most guys, but not this guy. I just have no interest in her. If I can’t hang out with Sasha, then I don’t want to go to the party.
“There just isn’troom,” Brogan insists.
Yeah, I’m sure she can’t squeeze tiny Sasha into her huge house. She sighs loudly and crosses her arms.
“Listen, Mason, if you change your mind, you’re welcome to come. But just you.”
I’m pretty sure I won’t be changing my mind.
60
All the studying pays off.The day before the anatomy exam grades are announced to be posted, Dr. Conlon calls me into his office. I can’t imagine what my anatomy professor wants to tell me, but it can’t be bad news—I kicked ass on the anatomy exam.
Dr. Conlon is pulling a book out of one of his shelves when I come in. He tosses the book onto his desk then grabs his cane and limps back to his seat. His cane nearly snags his desk in the process, and he plops down into his chair.
Dr. Conlon is a loser. I hate to say it, but yeah. He just is. The cane and the limp aren’t even half of it.
